Selling a Home As Is in Nebraska (A-to-Z Guide)

An ‘as is’ listing is a property where the owner doesn’t want to do any repairs or fixes before the sale.

The property is sold exactly the way the buyer finds it at the time the purchase offer is written.

The Nebraska real estate contract used by Realtors has two clauses that create an ‘as is’ condition clause.

The “Condition of the Property” sales clause states the buyer agrees to accept the property in the current condition. Buyers can add exceptions to this statement elsewhere in the contract.

The “Inspection” clause of the purchase contract also allows the buyer to waive the right to all property inspections.

Sellers must maintain the house in the condition the buyer found it at the time of sale until the sale closes.

Yes, you can sell a home ‘as is’ in Nebraska. Complete the proper contract language, and you can sell your property as a fixer.

How does selling a house ‘as is’ work in Nebraska? The property disclosure is the first step in listing any house in the Cornhusker State, including fixers. Let’s start there.

Title 302 of the Nebraska Revised Statute mandates residential property disclosures for sellers.

The Nebraska Real Estate Commission created the “Seller Property Condition Disclosure Statement” for sellers to complete when listing residential properties.

There’s no need for the seller to hire a property inspector to complete the form. Sellers need to report only what they have experienced or know about the house.

Homeowners selling a home with asbestos, foundation issues, fire damage, termite damage, water damage, or radon gas must disclose these conditions.

If a test or mitigation has been done for radon gas, asbestos, contaminated soil or water, or lead-based paint, these must be listed on the disclosure form.

Federal law requires an additional disclosure for lead paint in houses constructed before 1978.

This federal lead paint disclosure includes ways the new buyer can mitigate the danger from lead paint exposure.

While selling a house with lead pipes or polybutylene pipes isn’t specifically mentioned in the disclosure, if the lead has contaminated the home’s water supply, that problem needs to be disclosed.

Owners selling a house with mold would include that condition under the “toxic materials” section on the disclosure.

Property owners selling a house with septic system failure need to disclose that problem.

Selling a haunted house, a home with bed bugs, or unpermitted work isn’t specifically mentioned on the disclosure, but there’s a blank section on the form where the seller can disclose those conditions.

Owners selling a house in a flood zone have no obligation to disclose that on the Nebraska form. Buyers should research zoning and flood planes prior to making an offer on the property.

You can leave stuff behind when you sell your Nebraska house ‘as is’ as long as both buyer and seller agree to those terms. This agreement must also be put in writing.

“Should you sell your Nebraska house ‘as is’ or fix it up?” Answering this question can save you the time it takes to do repairs or mean extra payments for hiring others to do that work.

Looking at the advantages and disadvantages can help you make a decision for your house and your personal situation.

Why sell a Nebraska house ‘as is’? There are a number of benefits.

Pros of Selling Your House As Is

• You’ll be able to skip all the time and effort in locating qualified construction and repair workers when you sell ‘as is’. You’ll also avoid those fees. If you’re doing the work yourself, you’ll still have the cost of materials, and listing ‘as is’ eliminates that expense.

• Selling ‘as is’ takes less time compared with fixing and then marketing a turnkey property. Especially, a Nebraska cash house buyer doesn’t need a traditional mortgage loan to buy, and selling to them means your sale moves even more quickly.

• Once a Nebraska home inspector completes a property report, you must answer the requests from the buyer to replace or repair items. This negotiation can be exhausting when buyers demand many small repairs. ‘As is’ buyers generally skip professional inspections. When they do inspect, they understand that ‘as is’ sales aren’t turnkey properties.

• Skipping inspections means you won’t have any reports to share with other prospective buyers who want to examine the inspection reports. You also won’t need to report what these inspections find on your real estate disclosure. Once you know about the problem, you must report it to other prospective buyers.

• Many ‘as is’ buyers will allow sellers to leave things behind. This saves you time and the cash spent cleaning out the house and disposing of the items.

Cons of Selling Your House As Is

• You’ll receive offers less than market value when you list as a fixer. Evaluating the estimated closing costs for sellers will help you decide if an offer meets your bottom price line.

• Your buyer pool will be significantly narrower compared with buyers for turnkey properties. A cash real estate buyer in Nebraska, however, is focused on buying ‘as is’ properties.

“How do I go about selling my house ‘as is’ in Nebraska?” The Cornhusker State has a number of ways you can list your property. Let’s start with selling to an investor.

How to Sell a House As Is, Fast and For Cash Directly to an Investor

Before we answer the question, “What happens when you sell your house ‘as is’ in Nebraska to a cash house buyer?” let’s introduce the people who do real estate investing.

Who Are Cash House Buyers?

Cash house buyers are individual investors or businesses. Real estate investors have personal cash or they pool their cash to buy properties.

Cash investors may finance the home purchase by using private lenders. Private money can be obtained much faster than a mortgage loan from a bank or another traditional lender.

Cash investors buy investment homes in Nebraska that need work. An investor then upgrades the property by doing repairs and sells it.

Some real estate investors in Nebraska also specialize in buying rental properties as their investment focus.

When you sell your house to an investor, you’ll often work directly with them and skip representation by a real estate agent.

Investors look for people who prefer speed and convenience of a real estate transaction over aiming for selling a property for the highest price possible. That’s why they look for motivated sellers such as:

• heirs selling a house after the death of a parent while the house is in probate
• homeowners selling a home that needs work
• married couples selling a home after divorce
• seniors looking to downsize
• employees selling a house for job relocation
• homeowners selling a home when facing foreclosure
• owners selling a house with unpaid property taxes

Investors work with local investor-friendly title companies in Nebraska to quickly close sales transactions.

Pros of Selling Your House As Is Directly to an Investor

• A company that buys houses provides a quick sale — this is one of their strongest selling points.

• You can skip the appraisals when you sell to an investor. You won’t need to worry about your ‘as is’ house appraising at the sale price. A cash buyer also won’t need to qualify for a traditional mortgage loan, with all the delay that goes with that process.

• If you don’t use a real estate agent, you’ll save those commission fees when you sell to an investor.

• Many investors pay for the seller’s closing costs. This is a significant savings for sellers.

Cons of Selling Your House As Is Directly to an Investor

• Cash buyers typically won’t offer market value for your property. Investors deduct the cost of doing repairs from the asking price from their offers.

• You’ll be on your own to make sure your interests are protected when you sell without a real estate agent. If you research the investor, and select one with at least three years in the field and a long list of happy clients, you’ll have a smooth transaction. Investors don’t stay in business long when they aren’t fair or ethical.

Where do you find the best cash house buying companies? Read on to learn how to find and vet them.

Finding the Best Cash House Buying Company

Cash house buying companies are as close as your computer. Use your internet browser and search by using these terms. Substitute your city to find local investors.

If you live in a rural area, use the closest large city to find local companies.

• we buy houses Lincoln Nebraska
• sell my house fast Lincoln Nebraska
• cash house buyers Lincoln Nebraska
• sell my house for cash Lincoln Nebraska
• iBuyer companies Lincoln Nebraska

After you’ve found a few prospects, it’s time to research to find an ethical investor.

How to Choose an Ethical Investor?

Start by looking for the “About Us” page on the investor’s website. If there isn’t a page that identifies the investor, it’s time to move to the next prospect.

Companies should be transparent about the firm’s personnel and experience.

Local branches of the Nebraska Better Business Bureau (BBB) receive complaints about businesses.

Check with your local branch to see if any complaints have been filed against any of your potential investors.

If you don’t have time to do the in-depth research, you can request cash offers with just one online request and a few clicks on HouseCashin.

That request will result in up to five offers from investors pre-screened by HouseCashin.

HouseCashin vets its partner companies and refers your offer request to investors for you. Request your cash offers now. There’s no fee to receive offers and no obligation to sell.

A for-sale-by-owner listing, known as an FSBO, is another way you can sell your house in Nebraska. The next section of this guide details how that works.

How to Sell a House As Is by Listing It by Owner

Listing a house by owner means that you don’t use a real estate agent and you don’t simply go to an investor who gives you an offer right away. You market your property to the public yourself and wait for people and their agents to see your ads and contact you.

The process starts with a key step: find out what your home is worth. Knowing its value helps you set a fair, competitive price that attracts buyers without undervaluing your property.

With that sorted, you can focus on the other steps in the selling process. One of the most important elements in selling a house in Nebraska on your own is putting your listing in front of potential buyers.

Where Can You List a House For Sale by Owner?

FSBO sites offer a way to post your listing on a variety of online marketplaces. Most are free to use.

Pros of Selling Your House by Listing It by Owner

• You’ll skip paying real estate agent commissions when selling as an FSBO. In Nebraska, that means 2.5-3% of the selling price.

• You are in charge of everything — from when to list to which day works best for a closing date.

• Agents typically work for a number of sellers and buyers, while you have only your property to represent. You can devote all your time and effort to selling your house.

Cons of Selling Your House by Listing It by Owner

• You’ll still need to deal with buyers who need a mortgage to purchase your house. This slows the entire sale as buyers must qualify, your house must qualify and the underwriter must determine the loan package is something the lender will fund. This can take weeks.

• You’ll need to protect your interests. You won’t have the services of a trained professional agent to represent your best interests when you’re an FSBO.

• Without the training or experience in real estate sales, you may make mistakes that slow your closing time. A major mistake could mean your buyer walks away. Some mistakes may end up in court. A basic understanding of the closing costs when selling a home by owner helps you avoid some common mistakes.

Who Are Real Estate Agents?

Your real estate agent is a professional who assists you in selling your house. Agents also work for buyers, so your buyer may also use an agent.

Your selling agent is your personal representative who has the education and training to make sure you’re following the law in the transaction.

Agents earn commissions by assisting property sellers in listing, marketing, negotiating contracts, and then guiding the property through the title and escrow process to close.

Real estate agents must hold a state license.

Pros of Selling Your House As Is with a Real Estate Agent

• Real estate agents have access to a database of prior home sales that are similar to your property. These are known as comparable sales, or “comps”. Comps help you price your house so it will sell without sitting on the market for a long time without any interested buyers.

• Real estate agents are professionals who represent your fiduciary interests. Agents use their education, training, and experience to make sure your interests are placed first.

Cons of Selling Your House As Is with a Real Estate Agent

• Agents earn commission based on the final sales price of the property. Nebraska real estate commissions are negotiable, but typically they range between 5-6%. That figure is paid by both the seller and buyer. The average Realtor cost to sell a home is the most significant portion of the closing costs in Nebraska.

• Agents must divide their time between their clients. Fixers may not receive the same attention, since the buyer pool is limited. Agents may spend more time selling turnkey properties compared to marketing your ‘as is’ house.

• Agents typically work with buyers who borrow mortgages from traditional lenders. This means delays waiting for buyers to qualify for a mortgage, and also waiting for your home to undergo a mortgage appraisal.

How to Choose an Ethical Real Estate Agent?

There are a number of Nebraska real estate agents who are eager to represent you in selling your ‘as is’ property.

It’s important to select an agent with experience marking and closing sales on ‘as is’ properties.

Check with the Nebraska Real Estate Commission to make sure prospective agents have valid real estate licenses to work in the state.

If the agents on your list use the title “Realtor”, that means they’re members of the Nebraska Association of Realtors, a state branch of the National Association of Realtors.

The local boards and chapters of the Nebraska association police members to ensure they’re following the association’s oath of ethics.

Check with the local board to see if any complaints have been filed against your list of prospects.

It’s important to select an agent you can work with. Invite three agents to visit your property and share an individualized plan to market your house.

Experienced Realtors should have a portfolio that you can review. It should include marketing plans for sold listings, as well as a list of satisfied clients who recommend the agent’s services.

Contact a few of the clients listed in the portfolio to ensure they are legitimate recommendations.

Ask your friends and family members who have sold ‘as is’ properties for their recommendations.

Referrals are the gold standard in real estate. They show that the agent has put the client’s needs first in a transaction.